Tandem loses in VIS semis

FAIRFAX — With just over a minute remaining and her team trailing by 20, Tandem Friends’ lone senior, Kai Washington, put her face in her jersey as she was subbed out to a loud ovation.

StoneBridge was simply too much for Washington and Tandem Friends in the second half in the VIS Division II semifinals held at Paul VI Catholic High School, as the Cavaliers held the Badgers to just five third-quarter points en route to a 53-31 victory.

Washington, Tandem’s point guard and leading scorer coming into the game at 12.7 points per night, finished with just seven. However, her coach, Gordon Fields, had nothing but lavishing remarks at the game’s end.

“Kai Washington is one of the greatest players in the Central Virginia area,” he said. “She did everything we asked and even more. She brought leadership — she brought so much to this team of getting us where we are.”

StoneBridge coach Barry Rowe, meanwhile, credited his team for keeping Washington out of the lane with their 1-2-2 half-court zone press while not allowing her teammates many easy looks either. Guard Lizzie Stewart and forward Hattie Nguyen were also held below their season averages of 11 and 10 points per game, respectively. Stewart led all Badger scorers with 10, while Nguyen added just four.

The Badgers trailed just 22-18 at halftime, but the Cavaliers’ trapping defense was suffocating from the opening whistle of the second half. After a bucket from Nguyen on Tandem’s second possession of the third quarter, the Badgers came up empty on eight straight possessions, including four turnovers.

“We’ve got eight players [in uniform],” so we really can’t simulate a half-court press or any kind of pressure [in practice],” Fields said.

Meanwhile, StoneBridge caught fire, knocking down five of seven field goals to jump out to a 38-20 lead.

“We just changed a few things [at halftime], and we got a couple easy baskets,” Rowe said. “Once we got a 10-point cushion, our girls relaxed and started playing up-tempo a little more.”

Caitlyn Unsworth was everywhere for Stonebridge while battling the flu, Rowe said. She scorched Tandem for 24 points and five assists while adding five steals.

As for Washington, though her career came to an emotional close, she was far from disappointed in her team’s effort.

“A lot of people thought, ‘Okay, since we’re Tandem, we must be punks, we must be chumps,’” Washington said. “This is kind of a wake-up call for other schools that Tandem is a dominant, competitive school. Thinking about that, it kind of equals out the loss a little bit.”

StoneBridge will meet Carlisle in today’s final.